Sport fishing is enjoyed around the world. From fresh water to salt water, a wide variety of fish species exist. Fishermen employ a variety of equipment and tackle depending upon the water being fished, the time of day, the species of fish sought, personal choice, and many other factors. A fishing lure, sometimes referred to as an artificial lure, is frequently a part of such equipment and tackle.
Fishing lures are typically designed and decorated with the goal of replicating or mimicking the movement and appearance of a food source for the particular fish being sought. For example, such lure may take on the shape of a minnow, tadpole, frog, mouse, insect, salamander, another fish, or such other food source. The fisherman's hope is that by having a lure closely resembling or acting like a source of food, fish will be enticed into biting the lure.
In an effort to make the lure aesthetically realistic, a designer can use materials pigmented with the desired colors. For example, colored plastics or rubber may be used. In addition, a designer can paint or stain the external surface of the lure to achieve the desired color and marking characteristics. Decorative features such as scales, eyes, and fins may be painted onto the surface or otherwise added to the lure.
Lures can also be designed with features that make the lure realistic in a functional manner. Fins, diving planes, spinners, rattles and the like may be added in order to make the lure move and sound like a food source. Some lures may be specifically designed to operate on the water surface while others may function only when below.
Generally speaking, the lure's overall shape, the weight of the lure, and the location of the point of attachment to the fishing line can affect the swim path of the lure during retrieval. Another factor that can affect swim path is the lure's center of gravity. More specifically, the location of the center of gravity may affect the precision with which the lure can be cast as well as the movement of the lure as it is worked, trolled, or retrieved by the angler.
Some lures are able to be retrieved or trolled at greater speeds than other lures. However, at greater speeds, most lures cannot function as intended because the greater speed creates more difficulties in stabilizing the path of the fishing lure as it is moved through the water. For example, at higher speeds, many previous lures tend to roll or twist, instead of running upright. Also, at these higher speeds, the lure may tend to rise to the surface of the water and skip or ski across the surface without remaining submerged.
In the past, some fishing lures have been capable of being trolled at high speeds, such as greater than about 10 knots. However, these lures are not shaped like a bait fish or other creatures that the targeted fish would normally eat. These previously known lures are typically bullet-shaped with a metal, weighted head followed by a plastic skirt that defines several long strands of plastic. Also, these lures tend to skip across the surface and jump from wave to wave while being trolled.
As such, a need exists for a fishing lure resembling a bait fish that can be trolled or retrieved at high speeds, such as greater than 10 knots, and that runs upright and beneath the water surface while not twisting or rolling in the water.